A variety of exciting findings from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research were presented at the Congress of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), held in Copenhagen, March 7–9. Shixian Hu (Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen, The Netherlands) reported on associations between genetic factors and the microbiome in patients with IBD.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists are effective for induction and maintenance of perianal fistula response and remission in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), a systematic review and meta-analysis shows in the December issue of Clinical Gastoenterology and Hepatology. However, there are few data on the effects on internal fistulae, and further studies

In an analysis of intestinal tissues from patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), researchers identified specific changes in gene expression patterns that associate with histologic changes, such as differences in microvilli length. Decreased microvilli length, via decreased expression of the microvilli gene set, might contribute to epithelial malfunction and the chronic

Little is known about the efficacy and safety of combination targeted therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), despite their use in treatment of other immune-mediated disorders. In a review article in the September issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Robert P. Hirten et al discuss findings from studies of biologic

This week the AGA Journals Blog has reached an important milestone — its 500th post! The blog was started in 2010 to help disseminate the important discoveries published in the AGA Journals to a broader audience. Eight years and over 132,000 views later, it has updated its readers on everything from biomarkers for colon

One-third of children with Crohn’s disease have healing in only the mucosa or the bowel wall (not both), researchers report in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Levels of fecal calprotectin below 300 μg/identify children with mucosal healing. In patients with CD, mucosal healing is associated with reduced risk of relapse,

Despite advances in methods of clinical trials for ulcerative colitis (UC), there is still a large amount of variation in endpoints, even in definitions of response and remission, reseachers found in a systematic review published in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The authors conclude that we need a

When patients with Crohn’s disease in sustained remission stopped taking infliximab for a median 7 years, almost one fifth did not require retreatment or have a major complication, researchers report in the February issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Fewer than one fifth of patients required surgery or developed a complex perianal fistula. Increasing numbers of patients

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in remission are significantly more likely to have inflammation of the right colon, based on endoscopic and histologic markers, than patients with UC without PSC, researchers report in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. These findings provide insight into cause

Rates of adequate serologic response to Haemophilus influenzae B (HiB) and tetanus vaccines are similar among infants born to women with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) treated with immunomodulator or biologic agents compared to women who did not receive these immunosuppressive drugs during pregnancy, researchers report in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology

About the Author

Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.